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Everyone who gets into bourbon asks these same questions, so we’ve compiled the complete beginner’s guide to bourbon. If you have additional questions please leave a comment and we’ll answer it there.

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Table of Contents

Get Started: Beginner’s Guide to Bourbon

Alright let’s get this Beginner’s Guide to Bourbon start with frequently asked questions.

What’s the Difference Between Bourbon and Whiskey?

The short answer: All bourbon is whiskey but not all whiskey is bourbon.

The long answer: Whiskey (or you might see it as whisky but it’s the same drink) is made from a fermented grain mash including barley, corn, rye, and wheat. Sometimes these grains are also malted. This spirit is generally aged in wood barrels (sometimes called casks).

Bourbon is whiskey that has a mash bill made of at least 51% corn among other regulations (see below) and is aged in new, charred oak barrels (generally American White Oak).

What is the Definition of Bourbon Whiskey?

Bourbon truly is America’s native spirit which was enshrined into law by Congress in 1964 when they called it a “distinctive product of the United States” and set up the requirements for when whiskey transforms into bourbon.

Here are the cliff notes version:

It must be made in America (sorry Kentuckians — bourbon can be made outside of the bluegrass state).
It must have 51% corn in its mash bill but the other grains are up for grabs. Generally, the secondary grains are rye and barley, but some of the most highly renowned bourbons use wheat as the second grain and barley as the third.
Must be aged in new, charred oak barrels.
Cannot be distilled over 160 proof (80% alcohol by volume).
Must enter the new, charred oak barrel at 125 proof (62.5% alcohol by volume) or less.
Bottled at 80 proof or more (40% alcohol by volume)

What Are the Types of Bourbon Whiskey?

The types might fall into different categories. We will start with the different types of bourbon mash bills.

The most common bourbon mash bill has the required 51% corn, a secondary grain of rye, and barley.

This mash bill can be high rye (e.g., Wild Turkey, New Riff) or low rye (e.g., Elijah Craig, Buffalo Trace). The higher the rye generally the more spice is present.

The next most popular mash bill replaces the rye with wheat. So you might 51% plus corn, wheat, and barley.

This mash bill was made popular by the now defunct Stitzel Weller distillery in the mid-twentieth century with brands like Old Fitzgerald, Rebel Yell, Weller, and Pappy Van Winkle.

These wheated bourbons are still being made today but by different distilleries after Stitzel Weller shut its doors in 1972. The wheat is a softer flavor and takes premium aging well.

Let’s call the last type experimental. Some distillers are more adventurous with their mash bills than others. You will have mashbills that include four grains (corn, wheat, rye, and barley), five grains, or other grains like amaranth, malted grains, triticale, rice, oat, millet, or sorghum.

The other types of bourbons would fall into a categories we’ll discuss below — straight bourbon whiskey and bottled in bond.

What does bottled in bond mean?

Bottled in Bond Act of 1897 was one of the first consumer protections laws and was passed in response to adulterated bourbon whiskey that was in some worst case scenarios killing people.

As with many government regulations, distilleries who sought this designation for their spirits received a tax incentive.

Having the bottled in bond tax strip was a badge of trust in the eyes of consumer. Here’s the gist. The spirit must be:

the product of one distilling season
the work one of one distillery
demonstrate the skill of one distiller
aged for no less than 4 years
bottled at 100 proof (50% alcohol by volume)

Also, if you’re looking for a bottled in bond whiskey chances are you’ll run across one from the Heaven Hill distillery. They have a deep and delicious catalogue of bottled in bond bourbons and whiskeys.

What is straight bourbon whiskey?

Straight bourbon whiskey is all about consumer protection, aging, and proof. The Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 dictated that “straight whiskey” must be distilled from a fermented cereal grain mash, may not be distilled higher than 160 proof (80% ABV), aged for a minimum for 2 years, and enter the barrel no more than 125 proof (62.5 ABV). Only water may be added to bring the proof down.

Last, any straight whiskey aged less than four years must have an age statement, and it always reflect the youngest whiskey in the bottle.

You’ll notice the original question was about “straight bourbon whiskey” and the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 dealt mainly with “straight whiskey” that’s because bourbon wasn’t officially bourbon until 1964. That’s why you’ll also notice some of the “straight” requirements mirror bourbon’s like the distillation and barrel entry proof.

To be designated, “straight bourbon whiskey” a spirit must not only meet all of the requirements from the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 but also meet Congress’ 1964 definition of what bourbon is.

Also, in common parlance, “straight” can also be a request for a whiskey or bourbon without ice or other add ons at a bar. “Hey bar keep, give me a shot of Maker’s straight.”

What is the difference between Single Barrel and Small Batch bourbon?

These terms can be confusing for bourbon newbies. Single barrel is the easiest to define so we’ll start there.

After the spirit is distilled, it’s moved to barrels where it becomes bourbon whiskey. Some barrels may have exceptional flavor on its own.

Distilleries market and sell this bourbon whiskey as a single barrel. This designation was popularized by Colonel Albert Blanton at the now Buffalo Trace Distillery and is sold as Blanton’s.

It’s a single barrel of bourbon whiskey not mingled or blended with any other barrel.

Small batch is less clear and can cause confusion. There are no regulations on what small batch means. It might mean a craft distillery mingling 5-10 barrels to hit their desired flavor profile. Or it might mean a larger distillery mingling 200 plus barrels.

Some popular small batch bourbon whiskeys include Maker’s Mark, Buffalo Trace, and Elijah Craig.

Beginner’s Guide to Bourbon: 59 Bourbons for Beginners

We’ve compiled a complete list of bourbons ranked for every budget. You can scroll through each category and also see how each bourbon compares by price and availability — Best Bourbons Ranked for Every Budget.

Get To Know Your Bourbon Abbreviations and Acronyms

Upon entering the world of bourbon, you probably noticed there’s a language you have to learn. It’s full of acronyms and abbreviations. We’ve got you covered below with our complete bourbon abbreviations.

Bourbon Abbreviations and Acronyms
4R – Four Roses	ER – Eagle Rare	NAS – Non Age Stated	RHF – Rock Hill Farms
4RYL – Four Roses Yellow Label	ER17 - Eagle Rare 17	ND – National Distillers	Ritt – Rittenhouse Rye
AA or AAA – Ancient Age	ET – Early Times	NDP – Non Distilling Producer	RR – Russell’s Reserve
AB – Abraham Bowman	ETL – Elmer T. Lee	OB - Orphan Barrel	RRR – Russell’s Reserve Rye
ABV – Alcohol By Volume	EW – Evan Williams	OC – Old Charter	RY – Rebel Yell
AE – Angel’s Envy	FC – Fighting Cock	OCPR – Old Charter Proprietor’s Reserve	SA – Smooth Ambler
AECS – Angel’s Envy Cask Strength	FRSBLE - Four Roses Single Barrel Limited Edition	OCT – Old Cousin Touchers	SAOS – Smooth Ambler Old Scout
AHH – A. H. Hirsch	FRSmBLE - Four Roses Small Batch Limited Edition	OF – Old Fitzgerald (not Old Forester)	Saz – Sazerac 18 from the BTAC
AS – Age Stated	GD – George Dickel	OFBB – Old Forester Birthday Bourbon	SB – Single Barrel
B25 – Booker's 25th	GNS – Grain Neutral Spirits	OGD – Old Grand Dad	SFTB – Straight From The Barrel
B30 – Booker's 30th	GTS – George T. Stagg	OO – Old Overholt	SmB – Small Batch
BC – Boone County	H21 – Hirsch 21	ORVW - Old Rip Van Winkle 10 yr	SW or S-W – Stitzel Weller
BF – Brown Forman	H22 – Hirsch 22	OS – Old Scout	THH - Thomas H. Handy Rye
BF – Brown Forman	Hazmat – Any whiskey over 140 proof (not allowed to go on a plane)	OT – Old Taylor	V17 / V21 / V23 – Vintage 17 etc.
BHC – Bourbon Heritage Collection	HH – Heaven Hill	OWA - Old Weller Antique 107	VOB – Very Old Barton
BIB – Bonded In Bond	HHSS – Heaven Hill Select Stock	OWO – Old Weller Original	VOF / VXOF / VVOF – Very Old, Very Xtra Old, Very Very Old Fitzgerald
BMH – Black Maple Hill	HW – High West	OESF – Four Roses Recipe - 75% Corn, 20% Rye, 5% Malted Barley, Yeast F	VOSN – Very Olde St Nick
BP – Barrel Proof	JB – Jim Beam	OESK – Four Roses Recipe - 75% Corn, 20% Rye, 5% Malted Barley, Yeast K	VSOF – Very Special Old Fitzgerald
BT – Buffalo Trace	JD – Jack Daniels	OESO – Four Roses Recipe - 75% Corn, 20% Rye, 5% Malted Barley, Yeast O	VWFRR – Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye
BTAC - Buffalo Trace Antique Collection	JPS – Jefferson’s Presidential Select	OESQ – Four Roses Recipe - 75% Corn, 20% Rye, 5% Malted Barley, Yeast Q	WFE – Willett Family Estate
BTEC - Buffalo Trace Experimental Collection	K&L – K&L Wine Merchants, store in San Francisco	OESV – Four Roses Recipe - 75% Corn, 20% Rye, 5% Malted Barley, Yeast V	WL12 – Weller 12 Year
CGF – Cheesy Gold Foil (Wild Turkey 12 yr)	KBD – Kentucky Bourbon Distillers (aka Willett)	OBSF – Four Roses Recipe - 60% Corn, 35% Rye, 5% Malted Barley, Yeast F	WLW – William Larue Weller
CoK – Cream of Kentucky	LDI – Lawrenceburg Distillers Indiana	OBSK – Four Roses Recipe - 60% Corn, 35% Rye, 5% Malted Barley, Yeast K	WR – Woodford Reserve
CS – Cask Strength	LE – Limited Edition	OBSO – Four Roses Recipe - 60% Corn, 35% Rye, 5% Malted Barley, Yeast O	WSR – Weller Special Reserve
DSP – Distilled Spirits Plant number	Lot B – Pappy Van Winkle 12 yr	OBSQ – Four Roses Recipe - 60% Corn, 35% Rye, 5% Malted Barley, Yeast Q	WT – Wild Turkey
EC – Elijah Craig	M10 – Michter’s 10 Year SB	OBSV – Four Roses Recipe - 60% Corn, 35% Rye, 5% Malted Barley, Yeast V	WTAS – Wild Turkey American Spirit
ECBP - Elijah Craig Barrel Proof	M20 – Michter’s 20 Year SB	Pf – Proof	WTKS – Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit
EHT – Colonel E.H. Taylor	MGPI – MGP of Indiana, former Seagrams Distillery (formerly LDI)	PHC – Parker’s Heritage Collection	WTR – Wild Turkey Rye
EHTBP - E. H. Taylor Barrel Proof	MM – Maker’s Mark	POH – Promise Of Hope	WTRB – Wild Turkey Rare Breed
EHTLE - E. H. Taylor Limited Edition	MWND – Mid Winter Night’s Dram	PVW - Pappy Van Winkle	YO – Years old, as in 12YO

Let us know in the comments what we should add to this Beginner’s Guide to Bourbon.

Start shopping for bourbon swag for your journey. The Bard’s Shop has custom tees and hoodies, books, barrels, and more.

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Written by Matty Sims

Matty Sims is the Editor-in-Chief at a digital media company. LeAnn (his wife) and his daughters Claire, Maddy, and Adele along with a brand new pup Booker live in Taylors, SC, at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains. He enjoys cracking a well-aged bottle of bourbon with friends and sharing stories, or cracking one of his favorite daily sippers on the back porch while the pup and his kids play in the backyard. He is a storyteller at heart, and Bourbon has deep roots in storytelling.

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